The Rangers’ Blue Line Is Beginning To Take Shape

Through the first three weeks of the 2006–07 NHL season, the Rangers have been a mixed bag, at times exceptional and at others pedestrian. While this year’s edition of the Broadway Blueshirts does not in any way resemble the lackadaisical lineups that filled the Garden with an intolerable stench in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they have nonetheless been a bit of a disappointment.After last season’s surprising return to the playoffs, expectations for the Rangers have raised considerably, with many publications (including this one) predicting that they would compete for, if not win, the Stanley Cup. But for much of the season’s first three weeks, the Rangers have not remotely resembled a Cup contender, with the primary problem being the inconsistent play of their defense.Interestingly, unlike many other teams currently suffering from a dearth of NHL-caliber talent on the blue line, the Rangers’ biggest problem is finding enough ice time to divvy out. With eight NHL-caliber defensemen battling for six spots, the Rangers boast an embarrassment of riches.If their play in the Rangers’ 7–3 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday night is any indication, the Blueshirts’ top defense pair consists of free agent acquisition Aaron Ward and young Russian blueliner Fedor Tyutin. Ward has demonstrated surprising offensive skill of late, tallying five points in his last three contests entering last night’s game against the Kings and has certainly lived up to his reputation as a defensive stalwart.Tyutin, meanwhile, looked more comfortable playing alongside Ward on Saturday than he had in any game since the season opener against the Washington Capitals. Not coincidentally, he earned a plus-three rating on both nights. But the thing most compelling about the Ward-Tyutin pairing is their ability to set a physical tone. They have combined for 55 hits thus far this season; the other six Rangers defensemen have combined for only 32 hits.The second pair features two of last season’s most reliable performers, Marek Malik and Michal Rozsival. While neither has been as good as he was last year, when the two compiled a collective plus-63 rating, the defensemen have gradually begun to round back into form. Neither player is known for his offensive prowess, but the pair must make up for what they lack in speed by stepping up their physical play if the Rangers are to emerge as a playoff force.The third defense pair comprises two players seeking redemption. Last season, Darius Kasparaitis was a key component of the Blueshirts’ leadership, serving alongside Jaromir Jagr as a coalternate captain. But this year, with Jagr taking the captaincy and Brendan Shanahan and Martin Straka serving as co-captains, Kasparaitis found himself the odd man out. He missed the season’s first five games while recovering from off-season shoulder surgery, but has started to rediscover his groove.Playing alongside Kasparaitis is perhaps the most enigmatic Ranger of all. Sandis Ozolinsh, acquired during the stretch run last season, was expected to quarterback the Blueshirts’ power play and help turn it into one of the league’s best. Perennially one of the NHL’s most prolific scoring defensemen, Ozolinsh did manage to score 14 points in 19 regular season games as a Ranger.Unfortunately, his propensity for turning the puck over — and an absolutely atrocious Game Three performance against the Devils in last year’s playoffs — earned Ozolinsh the unfiltered ire of the Garden Faithful. And when the recovering alcoholic suffered a relapse following the season’s conclusion — and then went in for knee surgery — it seemed a fait accompli that his Rangers career was over.Perhaps it’s his $2.75 million salary, or perhaps it’s his tantalizing offensive skills. Either way, Ozolinsh has worked his way back into the Rangers’ lineup. He’s surely hoping that the ongoing West Coast road trip will help him win the admiration — or at least the tolerance — of the Rangers’ hard-to-please fans. A minus-one in each of his first two games this season, Ozolinsh was the only Rangers player not to garner either an even or positive rating against the Coyotes on Saturday. However, he has nonetheless played fairly well, and it will be interesting to see how he’s received when the team returns home.All of this, of course, leaves Karel Rachunek and Thomas Pöck as the odd men out. Rachunek has been an unmitigated disaster in his return to the NHL following two seasons in Europe. He has compiled an atrocious minus-nine rating in nine games, and with only one assist, has not made a remotely compelling case for why he should take a regular shift on the power play.Pöck, however, is a different story entirely. The 24-year-old Austrian proved last season that he has absolutely nothing left to prove at the AHL level. He tallied 61 points in 67 games (including 15 goals) and should ultimately emerge as the Blueshirts’ power play quarterback of the future.The most likely scenario is that either Rachunek and Ozolinsh or both will be dealt away. There are numerous teams — most notably, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers — that desperately need to add puck-moving defensemen with above-average skating ability. Despite their struggles, both Rachunek and Ozolinsh fit the bill.Meanwhile, look for Tom Renney to keep his defense pairs intact, at least for as long as they keep playing well together. The top pair of Tyutin and Ward has the potential to be absolutely dominant, while Malik and Rozsival are more than competent as the second group. And when all is said and done, whether Kasparaitis is paired with either Ozolinsh or Pöck, the Rangers’ blue line corps should be more than up to the task of getting the team back into the playoffs.Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.

The Rangers’ Blue Line Is Beginning To Take Shape

The Rangers’ Blue Line Is Beginning To Take Shape

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